Before Dooley had chest surgery for malignant melanoma in August 1959, he received between two and three thousand letters a month, but after the surgery, he received several thousand letters a day from around the world.

          He received a letter from a high school boy from near St. Louis telling how much of an inspiration Dooley was for the boy and that he was praying for Dooley's recovery.

          A priest in Puerto Rico offered his praise of Dooley's work and offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the day of his surgery.

          Dooley also heard from a former classmate saying that he was sure Dooley would be on his feet soon after the operation. The man also updated Dooley on other classmates.

          A high school class from Hawaii wished for Dooley's speedy recovery. Dooley responded, thanking them for their concern.

          A fifth and six grade class wrote to Dooley to tell him they hoped his operation went well and made him better, so that he could return to Laos and care for the sick. They asked other students at the school to pray for Dooley, too. They also expressed hope that the hospital would be protected from the communists. Dooley replied, thanking them for their prayers. He also reassured them that the communists had not reached Muong Sing yet.

          In 1959, Elizabeth Sherrill, the wife of the senior editor of Guidepost magazine, wrote Dooley about her husband's battle with malignant melanoma two years earlier. He had surgery at Memorial Hospital, too, and recovered.